Analysis and visualization of complex psychophysiological data: Coordinated use of multiple applications on a microcomputer

Personal computers have become ubiquitous for data analysis and visualization. Complex analyses and visualizations of large data sets prove challenging for microcomputer environments and highlight a tradeoff between customized programming to enhance specificity and processing speed and the use of commercially available software packages. We frame this choice in terms of a continuum that exists from low-level programming languages to higher-level languages, and beyond this to object-oriented programming environments and other advanced software products; we argue that there is no sharp conceptual distinction between programming and not programming. In this light, we discuss the pros and cons of using several commercial software packages in concert on a single platform to facilitate complex research tasks and discuss the implications of this choice for innovative research.